The study is one of the first of its kind to compare directly the usefulness of different body composition measures in predicting long-term cardiovascular risk, said Schmidt. In addition, prior studies that examined the extent to which childhood obesity predicts cardiovascular health in later life were conducted among historical cohorts of children lacking the extreme body composition values seen in children now. Schmidt said that while obesity levels in 1985 Australian children were also not as extreme as today's children, the study participants were exposed to all of the factors leading to the increased rates of obesity in today's young adults, such as easy access to fast food and a more sedentary lifestyle.

While Schmidt recognizes that introducing waist circumference measurement in schools is controversial because of potential stigmatization, he said he feels it provides an opportunity for the early identification of children at higher risk for future health problems due to excess body fat.

"I think parents would want to know if their child was five to six times more likely to have early cardio-metabolic health problems," said Schmidt. "The study shows that the increased rates of obesity in contemporary children are going to have long-term consequences. We can expect that the children of today will have higher rates of diabetes and early cardiovascular disease and that these problems will begin earlier in life."

Source: University of Georgia